Jolt to BJP, ex-CPS Virk joins Congress

Giving a major jolt to the ruling BJP ahead of the Assembly elections, senior BJP leader and former Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Bakshish Singh Virk has quit the BJP and joined the Congress in the presence of the party state president Udai Bhan and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Delhi on Tuesday. Virk was among the ticket aspirants and he was denied ticket, which had caused discontent among his supporters.

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JJP dist spokesperson too joins bandwagon

• JJP district spokesperson Yashkaran Rana has also joined the Congress.
• He had recently resigned from the post and started campaigning for Congress candidate in Karnal Sumita Singh and for Virender Rathore in Gharaunda.
• He joined the Congress in the presence of Udai Bhan and Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Delhi.
• “I will work for Congress candidates,” he said.

His step is seen as a major boost for the Congress, particularly in the Assandh Assembly segment, where Congress candidate Shamsher Singh Gogi is contesting.

Virk, a prominent Sikh leader, had earlier expressed his disappointment after being denied the BJP ticket but had maintained that he would remain in the party and not contest the upcoming election. However, after consultations with his supporters, he has decided to align with the Congress.

Virk was first elected in 2014 from the Assandh constituency and was later appointed CPS in the Haryana Government.

He has contested five Assembly elections so far, beginning his political career in 1996 on a Samata Party ticket. He had also contested in the 2005 elections on a BJP ticket from Nilokheri before shifting to Assandh when Nilokheri was reserved for scheduled castes. In the 2009 elections, he contested from Assandh on a BJP ticket but finished fourth. His breakthrough came in 2014 when he won the seat by a narrow margin of 4,608 votes.

Virk maintained that he was under pressure from his supporters and community members. “I was denied a ticket, and I was under pressure from my supporters and community members, so I have quit the BJP and joined the Congress without any conditions. I will work for the party’s candidate in Assandh,” said Virk. He also alleged that the BJP had ignored the Sikh community.

Political experts say that Virk’s defection to the Congress is expected to boost the party’s chances in Assandh, as his support may boost the campaign of Gogi.